Dexter kicked stones as he made his home, he didn’t understand how the world could be so cruel, and it was painful. Not only was he a weak mage but also had a lot of medical issues, he needed glasses to see properly, he always relied on his inhaler to remain alive and he was too skinny to do difficult jobs.
Sometimes he asked the heavens why he was even given a Talent which he could never harness. Talents are rare skills which only one third of humanity has and it was used to keep the city safe from monsters, but this was as useless as a wasted sperm.He had almost reached his home when he was suddenly cornered by four bulky men.“Is this him?” One of them uttered as he looked at his friend.“Yeah, he fits into the description."“W…What’s going on?” Dexter said as he looked at them.They turned their heads to look at him.“You pissed off someone you shouldn’t have. We are here to teach you a lesson.”One of the men gave him a scary smile, as he projected out a fire from his palm.“A fire mage?”Before Dexter could think of a reply, a punch landed on his face, causing him to fall back, and stumble..“Please…” He tried begging but they didn’t listen. Dexter's face was already burnt from the attack.These were grown up Mages with at least Grade C, their kicks carried a huge amount of force, and they didn’t even give him a chance to protect himself. Dexter tried to get up but the other man who was an earth mage commanded the earth beneath his feet to immobilize him, then dashed towards Dexter.“Bam!”Their hits came in too fast.“You fool, you think you're the same level as Mr. Tyler? You're a mistake in the World of Mages, and that mistake needs to be corrected” the fire mage said, flexing his fire talent around his fist.Dexter was fazed by being weak, he was tired of being a victim to bullies. “Why!” He yelled.“What are you saying?”“Why are you doing this? Why?!” He yelled clenching his fist, he projected forward aiming a punch with everything he got in his stomach.“I AM NOT WEAK!!!”He yelled with anger his punch seemed to slow down time, it moved with great speed, but before he could touch the Mage's face.He caught his fist effortlessly, “Was that it?” He mocked, slamming his blazing fist on Dexter's face as the left part of his face was brutally bruised, tearing the surface of his skin.Dexter's lungs were giving out.He needed to use his inhaler.The men didn’t stop their attack, as their feet came down on every part of his body.“I will not die like this!” His words were muffled because of his busted lips.Dexter could feel himself losing consciousness. The earth mage slammed chunks of rocks on his face and chest making him cough out blood.His hand went to the necklace on his neck.He wanted to see his sister. The earth mage then sent a heavy rock to crush both his legs.‘Argh!!”A kick landed on his stomach causing him to spit out more blood.“Tyler…” He gasped.Tyler had been the last person he had seen that night.Dexter had slowly begun to accept his fate; his arms fell down by his side indicating his defeat.“He’s not moving anymore.” One of the men used his foot to check if Dexter was still breathing but he wasn’t anymore.The young man had died.“Let’s inform Tyler about the job, I hope he pays us as planned.” The men laughed.It was very possible for a non-mage to hire Mages to do their dirty jobs as long as they had the money. Not all mages use their abilities to hunt monsters, some use it for illegal jobs, robbery included.“NO, I WILL NOT DIE LIKE THIS!”“I'M TIRED OF BEING WEAK! I CAN'T LEAVE MY SISTER!”“I DON'T WANT TO DIE! I CAN'T DIE THIS WAY!” He declared to the air, his voice carrying a wave of authority. He was tired of being weak, the only way to survive was to become the strongest.As soon as they left, the stone on the necklace around Dexter’s neck vibrated with a low hum.Dexter came down from the taxi, he rushed inside their house.“Ava! Ava?”He approached the sitting room and found Ava on her wheelchair watching a TV and a large bucket of snack in her hands as she scooped the popcorn with her hands and shovel it directly to her mouth.“Dexter? Your back” she muffled.“You're okay.” Dexter was relieved.“Yes I am, all thanks to Henry” she said as Henry walked out from the kitchen with a bowl of food.“Henry?” Dexter was shocked. Henry was his best friend, they met during his time in the Mage hunting academy, although Henry is now a successful Mage hunter and a grade B fire mage hunter.“Where the hell have you been Dexter?” Henry asked with concern and anger.“I'm so sorry man, I… I attended to something important” Dexter cooked up a lie. He would only look stupid if he told them exactly what happened to him.“More important than Ava?” Henry gestured at the 14 years old girl who was more focused on her snack.“Damn”Dexter then walked up to his litt
[Congratulations - 1 kill][Mission - 1/10][Mission status - incomplete][HP: 36][First kill bonus: instant healing+5 MP +10 HP]‘Mp? The system just gave me 5 mana points, now this is interesting, I've never experienced having a mana in my entire life, which only meant one thing. I can access my talent now. But why's my talent still showing 0? Maybe I'll have to complete the mission?. There's only one way to find out.’ Dexter thought to himself, just then his wounds began to heal themselves, within a fraction of a second, and he could feel himself stronger.He then noticed that everyone was staring at him and Ava jaw dropped, she was more surprised how Dexter could kill a monster.“He's a Mage”“Yes I know him, he's the popular grade E Mage”“Yes the weakest Mage in the whole world”“But how can a grade E Mage kill a monster who was likely to be no lesser than a grade D or even C with just a rock”“Has he leveled up?”“Maybe he has level up”The whispers could be heard. Dexter how
The portal from the sky made a large roar as a very large creature flew from it. It's the ‘Dungeon Lock's dungeon Locks are the final monsters in a dungeon and once it's killed the portal will automatically close, which is why it was given the name.“The dungeon lock!”“Get out of here Dexter this thing is much stronger than you can think of” Henry informed.Immediately he told Dexter the Imperial guild arrived.“Henry! Are you okay?” Charlotte asked running to his side, then spotted Dexter sitting on the floor with blood all over him.“You're not supposed to be here, civilian , get back!” She instructed Dexter.“Wait, he's also an Awakener, but not a hunter,” Henry said.“What?” She then paid more attention to Dexter and immediately recognized him, Dexter was a little bit popular in the Mage hunting category, due to his stat.“Isn't he…the Talentless Awakener?” She asked but they were interrupted by the roar of the monster. It was a very large Wyvern. Wyverns are large, flying crea
[Transporting Player to penalty zone][Transportation complete]Dexter found himself in a fully equipped gym, everything was set and ready for him.“Cool” Dexter walked around the gym examining everything, all the equipment was the same as what was in the modern world. He then removed his shirt waiting for the system to give him the task.[Penalty tasks][Push-ups - 0/100][Squats - 0/100][Crunches - 0/100][jogging - 0/100km][Pull ups- 0/100][Players must complete the training before 24 hours in the Core time. Penalties - Player will remain in the core for ten years]“All this is too much for a newbie, I have never done such training in the gym before.” Dexter complained, but there was no response, only a blue screen staring at him. If there was a way to escape all these impossible looking training Dexter would have done that. Even though the penalty was too risky, a penalty of a penalty task, staying ten years in that dark and lonely space would result in a brain tumor. He had to
Dexter used all his might to struggle in the grip of the monster, suddenly he opened the pathway in his body to allow his talent to flow.[Skill unlocked: Raging thunder (E-)][Proficiency: 0%][Capabilities: a powerful lightening outburst that generate a concussion force that results to a shockwave and a powerful lightning discharge][Damage effect: 12%][Skill summons upon calling its name]‘Perfect timing’“Raging thunder!”*Kaboom!*A powerful lightning disrupted Dexter's body, exploding in an instant and a concussion force was made to shatter the arm of the golem and Dexter was set free. He fell down and landed on his feet.“The system didn't send me here unarmed afterall” he grinned.[MP - 5]‘damn, my mp was ten, that means that skill drained half of my mp, then I can only use it one more time’[Time left: 00:03:13]‘Three minutes left, I just need to survive a little bit longer, either I keep running or I find a way to kill this thing’Dexter then noticed the golem was regener
[Penalty for failure - Death]“Clear the dungeon? Sounds dangerous”Dexter then entered the portal as he appeared in a large tunnel like cave.[Player arrived at the ‘Hellhound Dungeon’][Dungeon type - grade D+][Tasks- Clear the dungeon, kill all hellhounds][Time left - 1 day]“What!!”Hellhounds are like a senior version of Kobolds. They are supernatural monsters connected to hell, and mostly considered an omen of death. Their attributes include black or gray fur, glowing flamy-red eyes, they have supernatural strength and speed twice that of the Kobold, their bite force is strong enough to crush a diamond.Dexter stared at the tunnel waiting for him to walk through it, he could smell the foul odor, the more he walked inside the almost completely dark tunnel he saw blood splashed at all corners and he almost threw up from the strong odor.Just then he saw glowing flamy-red eyes staring at him, and the growling sound of the monster.“A hellhound!” His legs trembled as though he had
[50 seconds left for the skill ‘Voidstrike’]“Damn, I have to be fast before the time expires. But this monsters seems infinite in number”‘I know what, I'll draw all of them in one position then use the Raging thunder to eliminate them all in a single strike. Hope this plan works’Dexter avoided their attacks as much as he could, and mutilated the ones in his front as he ran on the edge of the dungeon heading deeper into where they were more hellhounds.Dexter successfully reached the wall end of the dungeon where they were at more than 50 hellhounds in total.[10 seconds left for the skill 'Voidstrike’]“Let's make good use of the last seconds of the skill”Mercilessly he was under a deadly strike, slashing the monsters in half, like slicing a candle wax with a sharp blade, he was almost invincible.[Skill expired. Cool down time - 1 hour]“Now is the perfect time”Dexter remained in the middle of the monsters, waiting for all of them to come really close to him, but he was careful
The hellhound slammed him further into the earth, blood pumped out from his mouth. The giant hellhound’s paw was still on his body.[HP - 3][Player critically injured. Your heart would stop beating once HP reduces to 0]‘Is this how I'm going to die? I thought I have actually grown stronger, how am I being defeated like this, for how long will I keep losing every battle. My HP is reduced and I can't use my skills, I'll have to rely on my raw strength. One thing 's for sure, I'm not going to die here!!’[Strength - 25]“I can't be defeated by you demon!!”Dexter grabbed the paw of the hellhound and pushed it away from his body.Dexter stood up, he could still feel the pain from too many bone fractures from his body, but that wasn't enough to make him back down. Dexter clenched his fist, his eyes sparked with a flash of lightning.The hellhound roared, Dexter tightened his feet on the ground then he leaped relying on his natural speed.“Die you monster!!! Ahh!!!”He punched the chin on
I stood at the edge of what remained of the battlefield, staring at the ruins of the universe I had fought to save. The stars were slowly beginning to reappear in the dark void, like candles relighting after a storm. My body ached in ways I couldn’t describe, every muscle screaming in protest after the battle with the Abyssal Sovereign.But I was alive.For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I allowed myself to breathe. The weight of the universe—the literal universe—was no longer crushing me. Still, the victory felt hollow as I looked around at the destruction left behind. Planets had been reduced to dust. Civilizations, wiped out in the blink of an eye.It was up to me now. The system’s voice echoed faintly in my mind, its presence weaker but still there."Rebuilding Protocol Activated. Universal Restoration Initiated."I didn’t ask questions. There was no time for questions. With what remained of my energy, I focused, drawing on the fragments of the Sovereign’s power tha
Dexter tumbled through the void, his senses overwhelmed by the sensation of freefall. Darkness engulfed him until, with a bone-jarring impact, he landed on an obsidian platform. He groaned, pushing himself to his feet, only to find himself in an enormous chamber illuminated by swirling energy—red, black, and violet hues pulsated like a heartbeat.At the center of the room stood The Architect, their mask now removed to reveal an unnervingly calm face. Their eyes burned with a malevolent light as they addressed Dexter.“You’ve impressed me, Dexter. Few have made it this far. But you’ve only scratched the surface of my designs.”Dexter tightened his fists. “Enough talk. This ends now.”The Architect smiled, their demeanor unsettlingly serene. “Oh, it will end. But not in the way you think. You’ve been a mere pawn in this game, and it’s time to introduce the king.”The chamber shook violently. The swirling energy began to coalesce into a single, blinding point above them. Dexter shielded
The helicopter ride was a brief reprieve from the chaos they had just escaped, but the tension in the air was palpable. Lila worked furiously on her tablet, attempting to decrypt the data drive, while Marcus cleaned and inspected his weapons. Dexter sat in silence, his fists still clenched, staring out at the dark expanse below.“Anything?” Marcus asked Lila, breaking the heavy silence.“It’s encrypted six ways to Sunday,” Lila replied, her voice taut with frustration. “Whoever set this up didn’t want it cracked.”Dexter’s voice was calm but firm. “We’ve faced worse. Keep at it.”Lila nodded, determination etched on her face. “I’ll need time, but I’ll get it.”The helicopter touched down at a safehouse several miles from the smoldering remains of the Blackwell compound. It was a nondescript building, tucked away in a dense forest and surrounded by state-of-the-art security measures. As they entered, the weight of their mission pressed heavily on them.Inside, the safehouse was surpris
The team sprinted through the collapsing compound, the air thick with smoke and the deafening roar of explosions. Alarms blared, and the ground beneath their feet trembled with each detonation. The Architect's forces weren't just retreating—they were ensuring the base was destroyed, leaving no evidence behind.Dexter led the charge, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to dodge falling debris and navigate through the chaos. Behind him, Marcus kept pace, covering their rear with precision shots that took down pursuing guards. Lila and the rest of the team followed closely, their expressions a mix of urgency and determination.“Extraction point is two clicks east,” Lila shouted over the noise, her voice crackling in Dexter's earpiece. “But we’ve got a problem. Drones are back online, and they’re swarming the area.”Dexter gritted his teeth. “Then we take them out. Keep moving!”As they emerged from the main structure into the open, the sight that greeted them was grim. A fleet of aerial d
The sun was still low on the horizon when the team arrived at the edge of the target area, hidden by a dense line of trees overlooking the sprawling fortress. Blackwell’s main base was far more fortified than anticipated. Towering concrete walls surrounded the compound, with razor wire coiled along the top and watchtowers armed with automated turrets and spotlights that swept the area in precise intervals. Beyond the walls, armed guards patrolled in squads, each equipped with cutting-edge gear.Dexter crouched behind a cluster of shrubs, his sharp eyes scanning the compound. Lila's voice crackled in his earpiece. “Thermal imaging confirms over a hundred hostiles inside, with reinforcements stationed in nearby barracks. The Architect has upped the ante. There’s heavy artillery on the north and west sides, and drones patrolling the airspace.”Marcus, crouched beside him, muttered, “This isn’t a base—it’s a fortress. They’re expecting us.”Dexter’s lips curved into a grim smile. “Let the
The cold night air clung to the dense forest as Dexter and his team made their retreat from the captured facility. Their convoy was waiting at a safe distance, hidden under the cover of thick trees and underbrush. Inside the SUVs, the tension was palpable. Kane and his accomplice were restrained, their wrists bound tightly with reinforced cuffs, their mouths gagged to prevent any further attempts at manipulation.Marcus sat beside Dexter in the lead vehicle, his brows furrowed in thought. “The Architect… If Kane’s not bluffing, this changes everything. They’ve already infiltrated deep enough to create chaos on multiple fronts. It’s not just about us anymore.”Dexter leaned back in his seat, his mind racing. “We’ll analyze the data we pulled from the servers. Somewhere in there is a thread we can follow. The Architect made one mistake—they’ve revealed themselves. Now it’s just a matter of time.”Marcus nodded, but his unease lingered. The Architect’s reputation was whispered in dark co
The night air was colder than usual, a bitter chill that settled deep into the bones. Dexter stood in the middle of his personal training hall, a vast expanse filled with state-of-the-art equipment, combat dummies, and reinforced walls to withstand even the most destructive attacks. His body glistened with sweat, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath. The session had been grueling, but it wasn’t enough to quiet his mind.He hurled a weighted training dummy across the room with ease, watching it crash against the wall. The frustration of Evangeline slipping through his fingers and the looming threat of Blackwell gnawed at him like a festering wound. He couldn’t afford mistakes, not now. His world was one misstep away from collapsing, and he wouldn’t allow that to happen.Marcus entered the room cautiously, knowing better than to interrupt during these moments. “We’ve got updates,” he said, his tone low but urgent.Dexter didn’t turn to face him. “Talk.”“Evangeline hasn
The city was alive with shadows as night wrapped around its towering buildings and dim alleyways. Dexter stood on the balcony of his estate, the cold breeze brushing against his face. The faint glow of the city lights below gave the illusion of calm, but he knew better. Blackwell’s attack was imminent, and the assassins hired to carry out his schemes were closing in.Marcus burst onto the balcony, urgency etched into his face. “We’ve located Evangeline. She’s holed up in a suite at the Bellcrest Hotel. Our surveillance confirms she hasn’t moved since arriving.”Dexter’s gaze remained fixed on the horizon. “And Kane?”“Still no sign, but the tracker planted on one of Blackwell’s former aides is giving us leads. We’ve intercepted encrypted communications; Kane is involved, but he’s keeping low.”Dexter turned, his expression calm yet menacing. “Evangeline first. She’s the immediate threat. Assemble a team. No direct confrontation—gather information, destabilize her network, and keep her
The rain poured heavily, drumming against the windows of the estate like a relentless cadence. Dexter stood in his study, staring at the storm outside, lost in thought. The world beyond the glass was a blur of darkness and streaks of water, but it mirrored the tempest brewing within him. The silence of the estate was only broken by the occasional crack of thunder, but it did little to distract him from the news Marcus had delivered earlier.Blackwell’s desperation wasn’t just a gamble—it was a declaration of war. And wars, Dexter knew, were won not just by strength but by foresight.The door creaked open behind him, and Marcus entered without preamble. His coat was damp from the rain, and a folder was tucked under his arm. He placed it on the desk and tapped it lightly."Updates," Marcus said, his tone brisk. "We’ve identified two names from Blackwell’s contact list. Both are high-value mercenaries with reputations for taking on impossible contracts."Dexter turned from the window and